How to hire an online editor

How to hire an online editor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step online editor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an online editor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new online editor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post an online editor job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the online editor you need to hire. Certain online editor roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An online editor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, online editors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of online editor salaries for various roles:

   Type of Online Editor	Description	Hourly rate
   Online Editor	Editors plan, review, and revise content for publication.	$16-43
   Editing Internship	An editorial intern is responsible for assisting the editorial department of an organization with publishing various media and digital content. Editorial interns shadow tenured editorial staff on researching stories, validating information, writing captivating articles, interviewing target audiences, and screening submitted manuscripts... Show more	$12-21
   Digital Media Internship	In a digital media internship, an intern participates in various creative projects while under the supervision and guidance of a supervising manager or staff. They usually perform support tasks to gather industry insights and experience, which typically includes creating digital content according to project guidelines and themes, conducting research and analyses, utilizing client feedback, and handling digital platforms, such as websites and social media pages... Show more	$11-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Web Content
   • Video Content
   • Edit Content
   • Facebook
   • Twitter
   • Google Analytics
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Content Management System
   • Instagram
   • Search Engine Optimization
   • HTML
   • Web Traffic
   • News Stories
   • Digital Platforms

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop SEO strategies to increase profitability and manage social media to spread brand awareness and bolster readership.
   • Edit and format Facebook chats to feature on website as articles.
   • Locate useful links and used basic SEO to drive traffic to the Facebook fan page.
   • Produce, edit, and post videos to various websites, including YouTube, Vimeo and rt.com.
   • Post all content using CMS and HTML; monitor all content, ensuring proper functioning of the site.
   • Develop and update web pages for content of health, wellness and supplement inventory by compiling graphics, photography and HTML.

   More online editor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your online editor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An online editor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, online editors' average salary in nebraska is 61% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level online editors earn 62% less than senior-level online editors.
   • Certifications. An online editor with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an online editor's salary.

   Average online editor salary

   $57,023yearly

   $27.41 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level online editor salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average online editor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$85,162	$41
   2	Connecticut	$75,065	$36
   3	District of Columbia	$73,657	$35
   4	New Hampshire	$67,443	$32
   5	California	$60,724	$29
   6	California	$60,596	$29
   7	California	$60,544	$29
   8	California	$60,500	$29
   9	California	$59,628	$29
   10	Massachusetts	$59,295	$29
   11	California	$58,425	$28
   12	Hawaii	$55,152	$27
   13	Texas	$50,935	$24
   14	Indiana	$43,175	$21

   Average online editor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia	$93,537	$44.97
   2	IBM	$93,191	$44.80
   3	Nasty Gal	$85,182	$40.95
   4	HMSA	$69,808	$33.56
   5	The Center for Public Integrity	$62,682	$30.14
   6	Urban One	$58,934	$28.33
   7	MOCEAN	$58,046	$27.91
   8	Picture Head	$55,913	$26.88
   9	Dealmoon	$54,975	$26.43
   10	Entrepreneur	$54,384	$26.15
   11	Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC	$54,109	$26.01

4. Writing an online editor job description

   An online editor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an online editor job description:

   Online editor job description example

   Introduction
   
   At SHRM, we are committed to making work, workers and workplaces better through insights-driven policy solutions, learning and development, thought leadership and research. We are shaping the ways employers and employees thrive together. SHRM is empowering our more than 300,000+ members, including HR professionals, business executives, and people managers, to lead as strategic business partners and effective stewards of workplace culture, business productivity, and employee engagement.
   
   Overview
   
   At SHRM, we are committed to making work, workers and workplaces better through insights-driven policy solutions, learning and development, thought leadership and research. We are shaping the ways employers and employees thrive together. SHRM is empowering our more than 300,000+ members, including HR professionals, business executives, and people managers, to lead as strategic business partners and effective stewards of workplace culture, business productivity, and employee engagement.
   
   The SHRM Editor, Compensation and Benefits provides high-value resources to SHRM members by finding, reporting, writing, editing, curating and packaging online news, content and e-newsletters targeted to our customer segments and focused on specific or a variety of disciplines. online news about employee pay, benefits, wellness and total rewards for the SHRM Online website, SHRM e-newsletters, and occasionally for HR Magazine and other SHRM publications.
   
   The editor will write or assign articles on employee health, retirement, work/life benefits, compensation strategy and planning, pay rates and pay equity issues, looking at developing trends, best practices and compliance challenges. A key aim is to provide news and information that helps HR professionals recruit, motivate and retain high-quality workers by offering competitive pay and benefit packages.
   
   The editor will also post content online using the SHRM content management system and update the Compensation and Benefits landing and resource web pages as new content becomes available.
   
   The editor will exchange information with other SHRM departments, including Government Affairs, Research, the Knowledge Center and Media Affairs.
   
   Work Environment:
   
   Work is regularly performed in a professional office environment and routinely uses standard office equipment. Travel Required: Occasional 0-10%.
   
   Responsibilities
   
   * Write and edit high-quality, well-informed articles about issues faced by the HR professional for an audience of current and prospective SHRM members.
   * Responsible for commissioning and editing content from freelance writers for publishing.
   * Curate the SHRM's Compensation and Benefits News-newsletter in the areas of expertise and others as assigned.
   * Post content online and update/maintain landing pages, resource pages and other digital collections.
   * Stay up to date with your beat. Report on trends, find experts and create content that helps HR professionals understand the role of compensation and benefits in recruiting, motivating and retaining employees.
   * Collaborate across SHRM departments and business units to support SHRM marketing, communications and strategic initiatives and business objectives.
   * Travel to SHRM conferences to provide news coverage for attendees and subscribers.
   * Cover other events and conferences within discipline areas.
   
   Requirements
   
   Required:
   
   * Bachelor's Degree
   * Minimum five years news reporting experience, preferably in business-to-business or association publishing. Experience developing a beat-growing knowledge of industry and specialty, developing sources, finding and utilizing freelance writers, following trends and issues and providing timely news and analysis.
   
   Preferred:
   
   * Master's Degree
   * Experience in publishing online content using website content management systems preferred. Knowledge of HR and business issues, or experience reporting on these industries preferred.
   * CEBS certification
   
   Physical Requirements:
   
   * Must be able to perform essential duties satisfactorily with reasonable accommodations.
   * Regularly required to sit; talk and hear, use hands to type. Visual acuity to use a keyboard, prepare and analyze data and figures; transcribing, viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading.
   
   Our employment practices are in accordance with the laws that prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of race, religion, color, gender, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran's status, marital status, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by applicable law.
   
   SHRM is an equal opportunity employer (Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran).
   
   We do not sponsor applicants for work visas.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right online editor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your online editor job on Zippia to find and recruit online editor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with online editor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new online editor

   Once you've selected the best online editor candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire an online editor?